


A Gun and a Girl

by abrightgrayworld



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, fullmetalpositivity secret santa 2k16, not a whole lot of romantic stuff between Roy and Riza in this fic but I definitely ship them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 05:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9056485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrightgrayworld/pseuds/abrightgrayworld
Summary: Riza gets a surprise visit from Winry Rockbell-Elric, who asks her for an unexpected favour.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for kasiokami on Tumblr for the Fullmetal Alchemist Positivity Secret Santa exchange. Merry Christmas and happy holidays! I hope you enjoy this! And I hope everyone else who reads it enjoys it, too!

As Riza finishes signing off the last of her paperwork, she glances up at the Roy’s desk and pauses, sighing. The General is collapsed face-down on top of his paperwork, his hand poised on the desk as if he’s still writing. Riza has half a mind to wake him up and berate him for falling asleep a third time that afternoon, but she decides to let him sleep a little while longer. She knows that he—just like her and the other members of their team—has hardly gotten any sleep; rebuilding Ishval, schmoozing with officials, and building connections to work his way towards the top is _exhausting_.

Really, being back in Central for a couple weeks to update the Fuhrer on the proceedings in Ishval and smooth over other officials’ complaints at the General’s “excessive generosity” towards the Ishvalans is more of a break than they’ve gotten in months.

(And Riza _still_ can’t believe that those higher-ups have complaints. That they can’t see the utter devastation that Amestris brought down upon Ishval, the unbelievable debt that it owes the Ishvalans for what was done to them, still enrages her and Roy and the rest of the team beyond belief.)

Riza smooths the stack of paperwork over and pushes it aside on her desk. She moves to get up, intending to finish up the General’s paperwork, when the door to the office suddenly opens. Riza turns, hand instinctively going towards the gun on her hip, but stops in surprise.

Winry Rockbell-Elric is standing in the doorway, her eyes somewhat troubled but determined.

Riza glances at the still-sleeping General and motions Winry to the hallway, following the woman when she nods and steps out. When they’re both outside the office, Riza smiles warmly and embraces the young woman.

“Hello, Winry,” she says. “It’s lovely to see you again. We haven’t been able to see each other since your wedding, right?”

“Hi, Riza,” Winry responds, a smile lighting her face. “Yeah, it has been awhile. Ed and I are in Central for a week, actually, to look into expanding Rockbell Automail here and so he can do some research, so I thought I’d come down and say hello to you all. He’s here, too, visiting some other people. Denny and Maria, I think.” She grins wryly. “I know Ed’s been itching to see Roy again, even though he’d never admit it. He misses the shouting matches. He’ll probably be here soon.”

Riza laughs. “The General has been the same. I catch him every so often muttering about new insults he’s thought of to tell Fullmetal for next time.”

“Those men,” Winry snorts. “Whatever will we do with them?” She pauses. “I’d love to catch up, Riza, but there’s something else I also wanted to talk to you about. If you’re not too busy right now, could we chat?”

Riza considers it, frowning softly, and then nods. “Sure. I’ll go on my lunch break and we can go out to eat. I’ll have to wake the General, though, so I’ll be just a moment.” She steps back into the office and, a little regretfully, shakes Roy awake, telling him she’ll be out with Winry for lunch. Roy takes this in and then snaps upright, a spark appearing in his eye.

“So, Fullmetal will be around, too?” he says, grinning mischievously.

“Yes, sir,” Riza says, the edge of her mouth lifting up. “He should be here soon.” She pauses, then adds, “Please try not to burn anything during his visit.”

“Can’t promise anything, Captain,” he says, rubbing his hands together, still grinning. Riza takes that as acquiescence and leaves, letting Winry choose the café.

“So, what did you want to talk about? Is everything alright?” Riza asks after some chatting, sipping her tea.

“Right,” Winry says hesitantly, and a beatific smile nearly splits her face. “I—well, I haven’t told Ed yet, but I went to the doctor yesterday before we left for Central, and, well—I’m pregnant.”

“That’s wonderful!” Riza exclaims. “Congratulations, Winry! How far along are you?”

“It’s uncertain, but the doctor said around two and a half months. Apparently I’ll start showing soon.” Winry’s cheeks are flushed with happiness, and her blue eyes are shining. Riza’s incredibly happy for her.

But suddenly, Winry’s expression dims, and Riza senses they’re getting to the crux of the matter.

“I was over the moon when I found out,” she says softly. “But then I started to think and plan how I would keep my business running while I was pregnant and whether we would move from Rush Valley back to Resembool or somewhere else, and my brain just started to analyze all these things. One of the things about being a mechanic and engineer; you want to take things apart and try to find problems and figure out how to make things better.” Winry stops and sighs, staring into her tea. “Point is, I started to think about whether I’d make a good mom—I know I will be, I know,” she interjects, seeing Riza’s concerned frown. “It’s just, I lost my parents at such a young age and I know Ed did, too, though Granny did a great job raising us both. It’s just that these doubts came up.”

“I imagine that every parent has those kinds of doubts,” Riza says softly. “I remember that Gracia certainly did when she was pregnant with Elicia. You should talk to her about it.”

“You’re right,” Winry says, nodding firmly. “I’ll definitely do that when Ed and I visit her later. But what I wanted to ask you was…well, I need to be able to protect my child, my family, if it ever comes to that. Izumi Curtis has been teaching me a little self-defense, and that’s been really helpful, but I was thinking that maybe it might not be enough. I want to be able to protect my family as well as I can. Riza, I…I want to learn to shoot.”

Riza leans back in her seat, surveying her friend calmly. “Edward told me about Scar,” she says bluntly but gently, watching how Winry flinches and bows her head. “From what I understand, guns are complicated for you.”

“They are,” Winry admits frankly, meeting Riza’s gaze solidly. “I won’t deny that they gave me traumatic experiences. I…I froze that day. I couldn’t do it. I would have been justified, I think, even though I know revenge isn’t the answer, but…I didn’t. I couldn’t deal with what I would have become if I had.” Winry sets her cup down, clasping her trembling hands. There’s a faint sheen of tears in her eyes. “Ed told me that I couldn’t do it because I had healer’s hands. Because my hands give people life rather than take lives away.”

She wipes her eyes, which are burning with fire. Her gaze is fierce on Riza’s. “But I won’t freeze again, not if I’m in a situation where my family is threatened. I won’t. My hands may be healer’s hands, but they are also protector’s hands. I’ve been protecting the boys my whole life, as much as I could from where I was. Ed’s automail was built to perfection nearly every time so I could protect him in fights as much as I could. I gave Al comfort whenever he needed it and couldn’t burden Ed. I don’t just heal. I…I keep people safe. I need to learn this, Riza. Could you please help me?”

Riza sips more of her tea, calm and pensive. “Well,” she says slowly. “How could I say no to that?”

Winry laughs, tension leaking out of her body. “Thank you,” she says, her eyes shining. “Thank you so much!”

Riza nods, smiling back. “I’ll teach you as much as I can this week, and after that, I’m sure I can find some other military personnel who can take you down to the range and help you. It shouldn’t be a problem since Edward’s influence around here is still pretty strong.”

“Thank you so much again,” Winry says. “I know how busy you are, and I appreciate it more than you know.”

They switch back to lighter topics, talking for some more time before Riza’s lunch break ends and she has to go.

“It was wonderful catching up with you,” Winry says as they walk back. “I’ll see you tomorrow for our first lesson?”

“Yes, come to the office around noon. I should be able to take a bit of a break then. By the way,” Riza says. “How exactly are you planning to tell Edward about the baby?”

“Oh, I have plans when we visit Granny next week.” Winry’s tone is sly. “I’ll write you to tell you about it. He’s going to be so excited, I bet.”

Waving goodbye, Riza walks back to the office, belatedly remembering that Edward should have visited the General in that time. She doesn’t hear any enraged yelling or banter, and she doesn’t smell anything burning, so she assumes that everything went fairly well.

“Captain Hawkeye!” Roy greets the minute she walks in. “I finished all my paperwork, as you can see. Could you drop these off, please?”

“Yes, sir,” she responds, picking up her stack as well. “Did your meeting with Fullmetal go well?”

“Extremely,” he says, a slight hint of fondness hidden in his tone, imperceptible to anyone who isn’t Riza. “And yours with Winry?”

“It was nice. Actually, sir, you may be getting a call from Edward sometime next week.”

Roy’s eyebrows climb. “Is that so?”

“Yes. In fact, the call may be of a…familiar nature to some calls you used to receive.”

It doesn’t take Roy long to put together the pieces. Along with the flash of pain that remembering Hughes always brings him, Riza can see the surprise and pride in his eyes.

“I can’t believe he’s going to be gushing about his kids soon. He’s probably going to be worse than Hughes.” Roy’s tone is almost melancholy. “Well, looks like Fullmetal grew up, huh?”

“He’s not the only one who grew up,” Riza says, remembering the strength and pained determination in Winry’s eyes. “They both grew up too fast when they were young. At least now, they’re growing up to be happy. They deserve this joy more than anyone.”

Roy looks at her, his eyes softening. “That they do, Captain. That they do.”

***

“Ed!” Winry calls, rummaging through a kitchen drawer in her childhood home. “I can’t remember if I put the pie on the right rack in the oven. Can you check and see?”

She hears him say, “I didn’t even know you were baking” and feels him come into the kitchen. She smiles to herself, waiting.

Ed makes a noise of confusion. “What the hell, Winry?” he says, pulling out a soft bun. “There’s only a bun in the oven!”

She turns around and looks at Ed expectantly. He looks back at her, still confused.

“A bun in the oven?” he says, frowning.

Winry sees the exact moment it clicks—he drops the bun.

“Ed, gross! Now we have to throw that out!” Winry says, mostly to hide her smile.

“A bun in the oven. A bun in the oven! WINRY!” Ed picks her up and swings her around and she squeals with laughter. His hands come to rest on her back and stomach. “You’re pregnant?”

She nods, laughing and grinning so widely her face hurts. “Almost three months along. I found out last week. Granny knows already. ”

Ed kisses her soundly, making both of them blush even now. “Wait until I tell everyone else about this! I need to call Al! And Teacher and Sig! And General Bastard!” His tone turns even more gleeful. “Especially General Bastard.”

Winry looks at him coyly. “Do you think that can wait?” She turns to walk upstairs to her room.

It takes Ed a few moments to get it, and then he’s chasing after her, automail and human leg making different noises as their joyful laughter rings throughout the house.

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify, having a bun in the oven is an expression to describe being pregnant. Since Winry bakes, I couldn’t resist using that expression. :D


End file.
